Farrat are exceptionally proud to have provided the acoustic isolation solutions for the Royal Academy of Music theatre and new recital hall redevelopment, at Regent’s Park in central London.

The new acoustically diverse spaces complete a suite of facilities for the Academy’s talented and ambitious teaching staff and student body:

The Susie Sainsbury Theatre – Designed for both opera and musical theatre productions, the theatre sits at the heart of the Academy with a seating capacity of 309.The theatre has been acoustically refined to deliver outstanding sound qualities, so that the space can act as the final chamber for the human voice, enhancing and perfecting the sound qualities.

The Angela Burgess Recital Hall – Created directly above the theatre, the recital hall has been acoustically isolated from all other parts of the building, and provides the Academy with a further 230m² of space and 100 seats.

Farrat Technical Director, Ryan Arbabi, provided technical guidance on how to acoustically separate the two performance spaces to achieve an exceptionally high level of sound insulation, within the constraints of both the existing building’s structural capacity and the architect’s ambitious (and truly beautiful) aesthetic agenda.

Image courtesy of Adam Scott Photography and Ian Ritchie Architects

The redevelopment project has been praised with a host of awards since its completion. Some of the projects most acclaimed include;

Winner 2018 RIBA National Award

Winner 2018 RIBA London Building of the Year Award

Winner 2018 RIBA London Award

Winner 2018 RICS London Award – Leisure & Tourism category

Winner 2018 NLA Award – Culture & Community category

Commended 2018 ANC Acoustic Awards – Building Acoustics category

Jonathan Freeman-Attwood, Principal, Royal Academy of Music has also praised the project, adding:

‘The spaces are stunningly beautiful, acoustically brilliant and inspiring. They will raise the bar and challenge the students and staff in every possible form of music to reach higher and search further.’

80 Charlotte Street is the transformation of 1960s single-use blocks into a fully integrated development in Fitzrovia, London.

80 Charlotte Street, Fitzrovia – image courtesy of Make Architects

The redevelopment will include an upgrade to interiors, adding new upper-floor extensions and three new atria above roof level. The finished scheme will be a mix office, residential, retail and public space and aims to achieve an environmental rating of ‘Level 4’ under the Code for Sustainable Homes.

Farrat assisted Arup in developing a structural thermal break suitable for use between the primary floor beam and column connections.

Understanding the structural requirement of thermal insulation on this project was crucial, and Farrat were able to engage with the designers in the early stages of the project. Farrat manufactured precision-cut Structural Thermal Breaksfrom our highest-strength material in accordance with the bespoke requirements of the customer, the BBA Quality Plan, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001.

The Structural Thermal Breaks were supplied with a Certificate of Conformity in accordance with our British Board of Agrément (BBA) Certification. The BBA standard is a mark of quality and ensures that designers and clients have confidence in a product which is used in structural connections.

The Post Building is a mixed-use redevelopment of the former Royal Mail Sorting Office, located in London’s vibrant Knowledge Quarter.

A combination of carefully curated office, retail and food & beverage amenities, the redevelopment was designed byAHMM Architects and is currently being delivered by Laing O’Rourke. The lower half of the existing frame is retained and a new core and series of intermediate mezzanine levels will be inserted into the centre of its plan. Key structural features include floor to ceiling heights of up to six metres, natural light from all sides and private roof terraces to every floor.

The project targets sustainability ratings of BREEAM Excellent, LEED® Gold and EPC B by incorporating specialist materials and technologies into the design that promote the health and comfort of building occupants and improve building performance.

Farrat were approached early in the construction by the steelwork fabricator to supply structural thermal breaks for use between several connections within the structural frame.

Farrat Structural Thermal Breaks are incorporated into connections to reduce energy loss and the risk of condensation. They are frequently used as thermal insulators within many building applications to improve the energy performance of buildings.

We recommended our high-strength TBK Structural Thermal Break material, as this offers the lowest thermal conductivity and is certificated by the British Board of Agrément (BBA). Farrat is also a member of BRE’s Certified Thermal Product Scheme. Plates of various sizes were precision cut at our UK manufacturing facility and dispatched to site.

Last week, we took our team on a tour of the newEveryman Cinema being built in our hometown, Altrincham.

It’s not often that Farrat design, manufacture and supply acoustic isolation for a project so close to home, so it was fantastic to get a first-look at the site in construction.

The boutique cinema is set to open this winter and will house four screens and a bar/restaurant on the first floor, with two retail/leisure units – spanning 4,000 sq ft and 5,000 sq ft – at ground level.

Accessible both from New Market Square and George Street, this will be the second cinema in Altrincham after Vue on Denmark Street and the first to incorporate a high-performance sound insulation system manufactured by Farrat.

Using our experience from over 200 cinema projects, Farrat supplied a fully-integrated system to acoustically isolate each auditorium, including;

‘Duke Street’ is an eight-storey office development, which forms part of the much wider St James’s redevelopment – a major 10-year investment programme that will revitalise the renowned central London area with a new public square, offices, retail outlets and high quality residences.

The building will provide 3,234m² of office accommodation, spread over six upper floors with two levels of retail offering 1,034m² of space. The project aims to achieve BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ for its commercial floors, BREEAM ‘Very Good’ for its retail zone, and as a whole, is targeting a WELL Building Gold Standard rating for its shell and core. The latter certification recognises the building has been designed as a healthy and productive space for its future occupants.

Farrat were approached by the Steelwork Contractor to supply thermal breaks to sit between steel connections within the structure. The building’s substructure is formed with concrete, and the main steel frame begins at basement level one, with the majority of the steel frame’s connections via fin plates. The thermal breaks were required to act as thermal insulators within the frame, to reduce the risk of thermal bridging and internal condensation.

Our high-strengthStructural Thermal Breakmaterial was selected, offering the optimum combination of Compressive Strength and Thermal Conductivity. The plates were then precision-cut to the bespoke length, width and hole configurations required.

32 Duke Street - courtesy of New Steel Construction

Duke Street is due to complete in Spring 2019.

For more information on the WELL Building Standard, download theguide here.

Manchester Airport’s £1bn expansion of Terminal 2 is recognised as the biggest single construction project ever to take place in Greater Manchester.

Set for completion in 2020, the expansion known as ‘Super Terminal’, aims to facilitate faster check-in and security checks, as well as a speedier journey through immigration and baggage claim.

Image: Vince Cole

Farrat were approached by the Special Access Consultant to assist with the design, manufacture and supply of a high-strength thermal break that could be used within the Terminal Balustrade System, to prevent condensation and reduce energy loss.

Farrat supplied our highest grade Structural Thermal Breaks as pier bracket backing plates, which were integrated into the hand railing system throughout the Terminal.

Farrat Structural Thermal Break are manufactured from materials specifically developed for use within the building envelope; each of our material grades (Farrat TBK and Farrat TBL) have British Board of Agrément Certification [BBA] and every order is accompanied with a Certificate of Conformance. This means that designers and clients can have complete confidence in the product.

Targeting aBREEAM Excellent accreditation, Ikea Greenwich will be the retailer’s first full-sized London store built in 13 years and will incorporate multiple green technologies in a drive for sustainability; photovoltaic panels, rainwater harvesting and renewable materials will all be used in its construction.

Farrat were contacted during the design phase by the Steelwork Contractor to manufacture thermal breaks for use between several steel connections within the building envelope, such as steel columns and raking glulam struts, which provide vertical support and longitudinal stability to a large external canopy.

Farrat manufactured the Structural Thermal Breaks from an economical and extremely effective thermal break plate material that is BBA certificated and designed to meet Building Regulations, by way of reducing heat loss and the risk of condensation. The plates were precision cut to a tight tolerance from the contractor’s fabrication drawings and supplied direct to site.

Ramps are a common architectural feature where there are acoustic floating floors. Transitioning from the build-up height of the acoustic floating floor back to the structural slab level, is usually far cheaper than raising the level of all adjoining floors.

Ramp detailing may seem straightforward, however it is the installation item that most commonly features on snagging lists.

Using our experience from over 200 cinema projects, Farrat has out-designed the common causes of installation defects to provide the most robust, acoustically isolated ramp detail possible. Careful consideration has been given to ease of installation and durability, as well as the interfaces and thresholds to ensure longevity, even under very heavy foot-traffic.

Providing acoustic isolation to a ramp in this way allows the highest possible levels of acoustic isolation to be maintained, despite reducing build-up height availability, as the full acoustic floating floor transitions to a lower non-isolated floor. Once finished with an appropriate covering (carpet or vinyl) it can be heavily trafficked without risk to the integrity of the screed or transition interfaces.

The ‘Centre of Excellence’ scheme is adjacent to and will integrate with, Elekta’s existing UK headquarters in the Manor Royal Business District on a five acre site, combining both its research and development team, and its global product support and administration functions, which will integrate into the new premises. The project was master-planned by architectsR H Partnership.

Farrat were approached by the client, to provide a Structural Thermal Break that could be used to isolate the connection between the external signage and the building frame, to reduce thermal bridging.

Farrat manufactured and supplied Farrat TBK plates, which were precision cut to a tight tolerance from the customers’ fabrication drawings. This is the first time structural thermal breaks have been used on a connection of this nature.

As the flagship office scheme in the Manor Royal Business District, ‘Cornerstone’ is a new commercial development that has been pre-let to Elektra, a global leader in the development of state-of-the-art tools and treatment planning systems used across the spectrum of cancer care.

For more information on how Farrat TBK can be used for facades, click here.

The‘This is Me’ launch was held at the Hilton Deansgate yesterday morning (Monday 14th), with the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, in full support as guest speaker.

The campaign launch coincided with the start of Mental Health Awareness Week and aims to challenge the stigma around mental health at work. ‘This is Me’ was initially created by Barclays in association with the Lord Mayor’s Appeal in the City of London and this is the first time the campaign has been launched outside the capital.

Businesses including PwC, Barclays, Sellafield and United Utilities stood alongside Farrat and other North West organisations in support of the campaign, demonstrating a regional commitment to ensuring employee’s mental wellbeing and positive mental health in the workplace.

Karen Johnson, Head of Large Corporates for Barclays in the North West and joint organiser of the event, said:

“Approximately 1 in 4 people in the UK experience a mental health problem each year and by 2030 the estimated cost of staff mental health related issues is set to rise to £32.7 billion.

As responsible businesses we all have an obligation to get involved and take an active interest in the wellbeing of our staff whilst creating environments where those in need can get the help and support required both now and in the future.”

Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester and guest speaker, said:

“Good mental health is fundamental to all our lives – an essential and precious resource that needs to be protected and enhanced. That’s why I’m pleased to be supporting This is Me, which is now being rolled out across Greater Manchester – showing once again how we are leading the way by being the first city region outside of London to adopt the campaign.

“In Greater Manchester, we know that poor mental health has a huge impact on the quality of people’s lives. It also presents a major challenge to increasing business productivity. For these reasons, improving workplace mental health plays a key role in our ambitions for improved wellbeing and growth across the city region.

This Is Me NW Launch - Guest Speaker Andy Burnham (GM Mayor)

The Green Ribbon Campaign to #endthestigma

Charlene Giles, Mental Health First Aider at Farrat, attended the launch and commented:

“Farrat is a responsible employer that is dedicated to safeguarding the health and wellbeing of all of our employees. We believe that the ‘This Is Me’ North West campaign is an excellent tool, which can be used by organisations to build an open and supportive culture that encourages conversations about mental health. We are excited to explore how we can integrate the campaign into our own Mental Health & Wellbeing strategy. ”